A Queen, A Savior
by hayleynymphadora
Summary: Set in the Enchanted Forest, no curse, no original saving of Snow White, or anything. Regina is forced to marry an abusive King meanwhile her mother casts a non-aging spell on Regina and her dear husband. Emma grows up a stubborn princess and daughter to Snow and David. Promised SwanQueen, eventually. Rated M just to be safe, due to abuse and language, and occasional violence.
1. Chapter 1

**So this is my newest SwanQueen idea, and YES it will be SwanQueen.**

**This story has more of a serious tone, and I warn you now, that Regina's King does abuse her to start out with. It's extremely sad and hard to write but it's needed for the story.**

**Stick with me on this-i know it's going to turn out great and it's already so incredible to write.**

**Unfortunately for me, I don't own Once Upon A Time (if i did SwanQueen would have been canon from Episode 1.)**

**Review for me? I'd really like to know you you think!**

**Note that constructive criticism is different from tearing the story down.**

**and if you don't like SwanQueen-don't read the story.**

**This is not a smut story by any means but i'm rating it M just in case.**

* * *

><p>Chapter 1:<p>

Regina sat at her mirror in the bedroom she shared with the King, slowly dragging a brush through her long black hair. She shivered, lightly. Though her dress was long and so were the sleeves, the room was still a little cold. There was a bit of heat emitting from the fire place, but it didn't help much.

The bedroom wasn't exactly large—though her husband was a king, he wasn't of a major Kingdom. No king such as someone like King Leopold, (who had just lost his dear wife only months before Regina's engagement—how Regina's mother Cora had hoped and prayed for King Leopold to ask for Regina's hand, aware it was a long shot).

It was a shame to Cora, really, that Regina's husband couldn't have had more power—been a bit more influential in the magical world. All Cora had ever wanted for Regina was power, strength, and wealth. The three things Cora had been denied of, being the miller's daughter.

Though Regina was only seventeen, when King Arik Valentin asked for her hand in marriage her mother accepted for her immediately, to Regina's dismay. Despite pointless efforts of Cora's constant badgering, Regina had no interest in power or wealth, and absolutely no interest in the king, who was a good twenty years older than she.

So Regina let out a deep sigh as she untangled her long and enchanting locks, wishing for the billionth time that week that she hadn't been abandoned by the one man she had thought she loved. She wished her mother hadn't scared Daniel away with her ruthless behavior and talk of a higher social class.

_Like she's better than everybody._ Regina thought a bit sullenly. _ As if I'm above loving a stable boy. Why couldn't she have left well enough alone? At least I would have led a more enjoyable life; poor or not wouldn't have mattered to me. It doesn't matter._

There was a knock at the hard wood door, interrupting the Queen's thoughts. Slowly, she gathered her thick hair into a bun on her head and pinned it there, setting down her brush.

"You may enter," she allowed. One of the servants did so, bowing as she spotted Regina.

Regina let out a soft sigh. "I've told you, Ashlyn, you need not to bow to me if we're alone."

Ashlyn the servant stood from her bow. "Yes, your majesty. King Valentin sent me to fetch you for dinner,"

Inwardly, Regina cursed herself for letting the time get away from her again. She spent too much time thinking about Daniel. It had been a year already—she knew he wasn't going to come back. She stood with her heart pounding. Her King would not be pleased that she was late for yet another meal.

As she sat down at the long table with her parents and husband of six months, she was upset to find that he did look very frustrated with her. She tried to feign a small apologetic smile. Her smile was neither accepted nor was it acknowledged. Instead, Arik grumbled, "You're late, Regina. Again, you are late. There should be no reason as to why you are always late."

Regina tried not to wince at the sound of his anger; he was a large man, Arik, and much larger than she. It was more often than not that when they were alone in their bedroom Regina paid for her "un-Queen-like actions" of the day. Virtually everything she did seemed like the wrong thing to do. These days, she couldn't breathe without being scolded by her mother or worse by Arik. There wasn't a doubt in her mind that if she wasn't careful he may beat her to death. Had her mother not captured power by obtaining magic from Rumplestiltskin –if not for her family's gold and Regina's gorgeous features—he would not have married her at all. There was no love between them—but that didn't stop him from using her every night for his pleasure. It actually terrified her to be alone with him.

What she really wanted to say, "A Queen is never late—everyone else is simply early," she very well knew she could not risk. Had it been Queendom, yes, she could say whatever she pleased. But in this castle, where she lived, in this Kingdom, the King was in charge. It was Regina's job to do as he told her and be his love toy; no more, no less.

She despised her mother for forcing this cruel fate upon her.

"It is not lady like nor is it proper to be always tardy," he spoke again. Superficially, Regina seemed poised and unfazed by his harsh tone. On the inside she wanted to curl up and hide—cry, really. She wanted to cry—but she recognized that no good could ever come from tears and anyways it would hurt her more than help her.

"You have my deepest apologies, my King." Regina finally spoke. "Time seems to have escaped me, and—"

"Yes," Arik chewed his meal, looking carnivorous as ever. "That was your excuse the last time. As well as the time before."

_It is the truth!_ Regina thought heatedly to herself. _This is nonsense. A Queen should not have to fear her own husband. She should not tremble at the thought of sleeping in her own bed._

What she said aloud was, "I'll not let my mind wander once more,"

"You'll be sure of it," his tone implied what she had worried he meant. She would likely earn the same punishment, if not worse, than she had received the last time she had done something he didn't find appropriate.

_As if anything he does to me is ever appropriate._

Cora and Henry just sat silently, allowing husband and wife to speak. Cora saw the fear in her daughter's eyes and shoved it aside. This was for the greater good. She needed to learn to rule with an iron fist, like Arik did. All he was doing was teaching her to be a fine Queen, and though his words could sometimes sound rough, he seemed fair.

Regina ate her dinner slowly, yet quickly recognized that delaying may worsen the situation.

As much as Regina hated to admit it to even herself, she was afraid. Afraid mostly of his power, what she knew he was capable of doing, and of what she knew was expected of her, even at such a young age as seventeen.

It wasn't as if she had never expressed such emotions to Cora so much as it was that Cora never once listened. She got the same response every time, "Whether you are Queen or not, Regina, speaking ill of your King in that way qualifies as treason. You should learn to keep your opinions to yourself if you know what's best for you."

Her words were loosely translated to what Regina knew was meant to mean, "You will rule with Arik, he will teach you to be stronger and wiser and more courageous and it is what's best for you if you want to be everything I need you to be."

_But I don't want power, or glory. I only wish for true love._

After dinner, the king excused himself and his Queen to their bed chambers. Regina's stomach knotted tightly. She was seventeen. She was young, _too_ young and he was about to do things that she shouldn't have been forced to do—not when she wasn't even qualified as an adult.

Arik shut the door tightly and she faced the bed; her heart pounding ever so rapidly she feared it may actually fall out of her chest. No matter what she tried, she could not control it—could not relax herself before he noticed her.

"You fear me, woman?" his voice was low and dark.

Regina took a deep breath and swallowed, outwardly keeping her composure. "Of course not, my King,"

"You lie," he retorted, taking her small arms in his strong grip. A squeak caught in her throat. She willed herself not to fight him. After six months of dealing with this, she hated herself for not being used to him by now, but every time he touched her she got frightened all over again. It wasn't like Regina to be frightened—not so easily, anyways.

Arik's grip tightened and Regina tried to remain impassive, tilting her head back and allowing him to kiss her neck. His kiss was rough and wet and she detested it with a deep passion but dared say not a word—move not an inch. His fingers moved slowly to the back of her dress and he unlaced it. After which Regina became numb, knowing the routine by now and giving into it. She had learned from the beginning that the more she fought it the more it would hurt her. What made the pain even more unbearable was that his touch never turned her on to him, only ever frightened her, and though it was something she was learning to cope with, that didn't make her any less broken when he was done taking his pleasure in her.

After he had finished with her for the night (she had been as quiet as she could, afraid of what he'd do if so much as a whimper escaped her) he flipped her roughly to face him and grabbed her waist tightly, squeezing it as he spoke to her. His large fingers were definitely leaving bruises but he was wise about the placement of such marks—these ones would always be hidden by her clothing, only to ever be seen by him.

"I grow tired of your games, Regina. I don't care how old you are, I will not dismiss you anymore. You are my wife, you are the Queen, and you will act like it. Am I understood?" his fingers dug deeper into her skin and her breath caught. Any harder and he could have very easily snapped a rib or more in her body.

"Yes, Arik, I'll do as is expected of me," a single tear slid down her cheek against her will and luckily for her, he dismissed the "sign of weakness" as he was too distracted with trying to get his point across to her.

"Promise it to me, now. Swear to it, Regina," he growled. "You will be the best Queen you can be—the best wife you can be—and I will no longer take anything less than that."

A bead of sweat dripped down her naked back even though she was shivering and she was fairly certain that she was bleeding again where blood should only appear once a certain time of month. She ached horribly and wished for nothing but an end to this torture.

She missed Daniel's light touch to her body, and his gentle yet energetic kisses which they used to sneak between meals and tea times. She missed how he made love to her the way a man should—tender and kind—as opposed to the barbaric way that Arik always took her. She knew that she was trapped.

Broken and trapped.

"I promise, Arik," she gasped out. "I swear to it, I will be your ideal Queen—your ideal—wife—"

He relinquished his hold on her and stood from the bed, redressing carefully. He looked down at the sheets behind him and rolled his eyes. "You're bleeding," he said with such utter annoyance—as if it was her fault that he was so brutal with such a small and breakable woman.

Regina knew she need not bother to look down. She merely closed her eyes in able to compose herself, willing the tears stinging the backs of her eyelids not to spill over else she knew she'd likely be hit.

"I'll be going to the tavern," he announced and left without saying another word to her. She assumed he would be in a drunken state when he returned and prayed he would be too tired to hurt her any further.

_What, my love, no kiss fare the well?_Regina thought bitterly, forcing herself into a sitting position despite such discomfort and eventually, with some difficulty, she managed to stand. Finding a nightdress draped over the chair in front of her mirror—the one where she had rested so peacefully to comb through her hair and reminisce about Daniel so few hours ago—she slipped it on over her body and rung the bell to signal for Ashlyn to come.

The servant girl was at the door almost immediately. "Your majesty?" Ashlyn remembered this time not to bow, however still tilted her head down, slightly.

People were always calling her that—"your majesty" and "Queen Valentin", and she supposed they did so because according to the Kingdom that's what she was. However Regina had never felt like royalty a day in her life.

"Draw me a warm bath, Ashlyn, would you please, dear?" Regina managed to speak without bursting into a fit of choked sobs. "And I'm afraid these sheets must be replaced…once again…"

"Yes, my Queen," was what she heard as a response.

. . .

Regina removed the night dress with careful hands and stood in front of a body-length mirror by the wash tub and examined her wounds from the night's previous actions. Indeed, dark, grotesque-looking finger marks formed as large bruises on both sides of her waist but that was the only physical damage that was noticeable to the human eye. It was all that was noticeable to her eye, in any case. She inhaled sharply and regretted the action immensely—she was obviously quite internally bruised. It felt to her as if someone had taken a very heavy block and pounded it against her being as hard as they were capable of doing. She couldn't complain though, for she was very aware that he could have done much worse and probably would have, had his intentions to intoxicate himself not taken over his want to cause her pain.

With a long exhale of air, forced, mind you, and a slight wince at the stab of pain said action caused her, Regina let her hair down and watched as it cascaded down her back. Cautiously, she stepped into the tub of warm water and lowered herself in, biting her fist to suppress a groan and wondering if it would ever get easier to live in such conditions. She figured it was going to have to be. She was stuck like this now—there was no way out.

. . .

Arik returned home very early into the morning and Regina was fast asleep on her side of the bed, curled up into a fetal position. She looked frightened to death and this fact pleased her King. It was far better to be feared than loved, especially when he was raised to rule with an iron fist. His Queen would learn to obey—she would learn that he was not to be made a fool or embarrassment out of when she was late for a meal or spoke her opinion.

He was drunk and sleepy and he collapsed onto the bed and turned to face her, half tempted to wake her and take her one last time. But he didn't have the energy to do such things. Instead, he reached out in front of him and smacked her rear, forcefully.

Regina woke with a start, her eyes widened in shock. Arik had quite obviously returned and was ready to please himself with her once more. She froze, thinking to herself that perhaps if he thought her to still be asleep, he would just leave her be.

It was all he needed to do to get his point across—he watched as her body tensed and he knew she got the message.

She closed her eyes quickly and held herself closer, her muscles tightened and throbbing. She fell asleep thankful—he didn't touch her again.

* * *

><p><strong>so...thoughts? please? Chapter 2 will be up soon. ~~hayleynymphadora<strong>


	2. Chapter 2

**Sorry this took longer than i expected! I'm working on a bunch of SQ stuff right now, and realized I had this finished but never posted it...my bad...**

**I don't own ONCE, to my dismay.**

**tell me what you think!**

**~~hayleynymphadora**

* * *

><p>Chapter 2:<p>

(Twenty three years later)

Emma Charming glared at the beautiful white horse standing in front of her. It wasn't false that she had always wanted to learn to ride, she just detested that it had to be in this way. "Can I not just walk to the village?" she complained to her parents.

David Charming, Emma's father, rolled his eyes. "Come now, Emma. Don't act as if you haven't spent sixteen years of your life wishing to ride Melody over here…" he patted the horse lightly and stroked her mane lovingly.

_Melody. The most pathetic and feminine name for such a strong and majestic horse that my ears have ever heard._ Emma thought to herself, pulling at her dress to fix it back into its rightful place. She absolutely loathed wearing dresses and when she was alone in the castle she could quite often get away with wearing trousers, but since she was outside where any passing villager could see her, Snow had insisted she wear a dress, believing that not doing so would be improper.

Knowing the story of her parents, Queen Snow White and King David Charming she could help not but to wonder what gave her mother the right to be so hypocritical. Really, must everything be so proper, just because they were royals? Emma thought not, though very few shared her opinion on the matter.

Snow was already on her own noble steed, smiling down at Emma. "Come now," she agreed with David, coaxing her daughter. "I'll teach you to ride side-saddle with me,"

"No," Emma refused her parents and it most certainly was not the first time she did so. She yanked back the skirts of her dress to reveal a pair of black riding pants she had snuck on, to her mother's annoyance. At this point it was Snow who rolled her eyes.

"Honestly, Emma—"

"If I'm to learn to ride, I'm to ride like a Knight, not a damsel in distress,"

David and Snow cast each other weary glances. They had gone over situations similar to this on numerous occasions throughout their daughter's life. She never wished to be regal, nor did she ever act upon her expected duties as Princess. She did as she was told…rarely; using the mindset that one didn't have to act prim and proper to be a respected royal. It was bothersome to her when she was told to act more like her mother because she was her own separate person. She was most certainly _not _her mother. Emma was free spirited and there was a part in her parents that respected that, which was the largest reason they let her get away with all that she did.

"You are a lady, Emma," Snow reminded her, not unkindly. "You are a princess."

"I am a woman," Emma wrapped one leg around each side of the horse. She looked David in the eye. "Are you going to teach me to ride or not, father?" she raised an eyebrow, her lips forming a small smirk.

. . .

Regina did her best not to cringe when she hoisted herself up to her dark black steed. "Easy now," she whispered. "If you please?" she added in as a quick afterthought.

"Talking to horses again I see?" Arik passed her and she straightened up, no matter how much pain she was in. Throughout the long years of being wife to Arik, her pain tolerance grew stronger and she grew aware of her actions and much more mature. That didn't mean her whole body was not still throbbing from when he struck her and took her the night before.

Though Regina's beauty would likely be timeless, the fact that she was still seventeen in appearance and full of youth seemed to make Arik a bit easier on her—because at least, he thought, she was still attractive and had the energy of a teenager.

Cora had cast a spell, approximately seven moons after the wedding of Arik and Regina had taken place. This spell only affected herself, Henry, Arik, and of course Regina. It froze their ages in time and Regina could hardly bare it—stuck at seventeen, in this position, for so long? Death, at least, would have been more peaceful, as well as far less painful.

Arik noted the way Regina rested on her steed; side saddle. After a moments' contemplation and some devious thought, he shook his head slowly. "No, Regina. Today you will ride like a man."

_Whatever for?!_

Baffled, Regina was at a loss for an appropriate response. She was aware that wrapping a leg around each side had excellent odds to force a scream out of her—especially if they were to take a rough trail, which, with her luck, was most likely. Secondly, she was disgusted by the fact that he wanted his Queen to be seen riding like a man in such a dress. Clearly, Arik had made a mistake in judgment.

"I fail to see the benefit of risking villagers seeing their Queen riding in such a way." She spoke up and immediately thought it too bold, regretting even thinking such a thing.

It seemed the whole world went still as the tension between husband and wife thickened. Where a cool autumn breeze blew moments before, there was none; however a shiver still swept down Regina's spine. She grew slightly nervous and a huge gust of wind suddenly took over the forest where they stood. Trees shook furiously and leaves were swirling upward, sky-bound. A few even landed in Regina's hair and she cursed herself again for not yet being able to control the magic that Rumplestiltskin had been teaching her about. She was aware that the magic was in her veins and she was upset that she had little control over it so far into her studies.

Arik approached her slowly, pulling a leaf out of her hair, which today was down and very slightly bushy but beautifully so. Her hair had not grown since Cora cast that "curse" (as Regina often referred to it), but it was still well past chest length—almost reaching her waist.

Did Arik care about her beauty? It helped, but vaguely.

"Do you? Fail to see benefit, that is?" he wore a scowl as his expression. Arik always was scowling; his voice always daring her to respond.

Reaching into the leather bag which was attached by clasps to the saddle of his steed, he pulled out a pair of riding pants and threw them at Regina. She blinked rapidly, attempting to comprehend.

"They are from Cora," he explained to her. "You are to wear them under your dress."

Regina hesitated; if the pants were from her mother, she couldn't imagine them the slightest bit comfortable nor did she want to consider the possibility that Cora had enchanted them in some way. She would almost rather just ride in the dress. Her hesitation cost her and Arik struck her across the face.

She blinked again, her cheek stinging.

"Don't waste my precious time, woman!" he practically bellowed in the young girl's face before turning back to his steed and attending to his saddle. "Put on the damn riding trousers before I really give you something to complain about."

Silently, Regina did as she was told and mounted her horse awkwardly—not allowing her expression to show the amount of agony she was truly in.

"Today we ride to the northern lands. We are to visit King Charming's kingdom for the remainder of the month."

Everything was starting to make sense to Regina now as actions fell into place. It was of course why she had been told to pack for their journey, though did not explain why their luggage was in the carriage behind them and they themselves were not. She counted out days in her head and nearly let a gasp escape her. What business did they have with King David and Queen Snow for so long of a time period? She didn't bother to ask; she was aware Arik would not respond to her.

They rode in silence and she risked wincing with every other step. He let her make the damn facial expressions.

_What bother is it to me, really, unless I'm bedding her?_ He thought smugly. _I'll let the woman announce her discomfort—at least until we reach the kingdom._

Regina was well aware of the little time she had to prepare herself to be presentable to the King and Queen and Princess of the northern lands. Slowly but steadily she grew used to the trotting of her steed and was able to stop showing her pain through her features. However she noticed herself correct about the pants—Cora had made them one size too small, squeezing Regina's legs tightly and forcing more discomfort which she ignored to the best of her ability. She had felt worse before and knew she'd survive all of this somehow, someday. Her hope was lost slowly as each year had passed. These days she recognized that all she could do was fake a grin and bare it.

It took most of the day to reach King Charming's castle, leaving Regina weak and exhausted, however she showed no sign of any such feelings. She had never in fact met King David, Queen Snow, or their daughter, Emma. All she knew was their names and a bit about their run as royals. King Leopold, Queen Snow's father, had been the ruler of the kingdom before a heart attack caused his untimely death and forced Snow and David to take his place. Ever since, they had ruled over the kingdom together kindly. Regina aspired to make a good impression on them.

King and Queen Valentin finally made it to the northern castle which was waiting for them, large and beautiful. King Charming, Queen Snow, and Princess Emma were standing at the gates, waiting for their guests to arrive. Earlier in the day, Snow and David had talked to Emma about the King and Queen's arrival.

"The Valentin's will be staying with us for a while, Emma," Snow announced over lunch. "The Queen, Regina, she's only a year older than you are."

David seemed puzzled and looked at his wife, quizzically. "How is that so? The two of them have ruled the southern Kingdom for nearly twenty four years, have they not? Or is my information faulty?"

"Mmm. They have ruled for nearly twenty four years; however her mother, Cora, has a curse cast on them—Regina's been seventeen for far too long. I pity her, really. I couldn't imagine being stuck at that age. Such a difficult age…"

"Are you hinting I should be married by next year because Queen Valentin is somewhat seventeen?" Emma couldn't stop herself from wondering aloud.

"Emma, no, goodness, that isn't what I'm trying to say. I'm merely informing you that she'll be staying with us for the remainder of the month, as well as her husband, Arik. We have strategies to discuss."

"Are you referring to battle strategies?" Emma never knew just when she was to keep her mouth shut.

Snow shifted uncomfortably and ignored her daughter's pestering. "They'll be staying in the guest bedroom down the hall from yours, Emma, and I expect you to be more than cordial to them. This is the first they've left their kingdom in a very long time."

"Why is it they didn't simply stay there and rule? I'm sure strategies could've been discussed through letters."

"Play fair," David warned her and that was the end of it.

Now they stood at the gates, watching as Queen Regina and King Arik walked their noble steeds up to the front gate, looking more professional than Emma had ever felt in her life. The princess smoothed her dress down in irritation. Her mother had insisted she wear the damn thing, and refused to let her fashion any pants underneath.

_Why? It isn't as if they're going to be staring up my dress…_ Emma thought bitterly to herself. She refused to act like anything she was not, and she cared not who was spending the remaining month with her and her family. So what if this woman was a queen and her husband a king? She was a princess, and she was who she was. Not exactly regal, not particularly not and that was how she preferred to live her life. The moment dinner was over she was planning on changing back into pants again.

When Queen Regina's eyes met Emma's they seemed emotionless. Cold. But there was something else there that Emma couldn't help but to notice. A kindness, perhaps? It seemed as if the Queen had secrets. She inclined her head to Emma and Emma did the same, however Regina did not speak, so Emma said something first.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Queen Valentin,"

"Please, you may call me Regina," she gave the princess a small smile.

Emma had to admit, when she had first heard that the King and Queen were to arrive, she was less than thrilled and much more frustrated. Whenever there was company around she was expected to act much more proper than she cared to act. But as she watched Regina's careful steps, her rigid movements, she was interested in spending time trying to see what made this Queen tick. The woman was quite obviously full of mystery and Emma looked forward to spending some time with her.

She was admittedly gorgeous, Regina.

Her very long black hair was down and parts of it braided and pinned. There was a scar on the top of her lip and Emma couldn't quite help but wonder how it got there. It was endearing. The Queen's eyes were dark and brown and lovely. Emma wasn't quite sure how to feel about her.

Regina's deep brown eyes met Princess Emma's suspicious blue ones. Her long but admittedly very pretty blonde hair cascaded down her shoulders. Regina had never seen anyone with blonde hair, but she thought it was very nice. Emma looked as though she was quite mischievous and it gave Regina pause. Staying with this family would be interesting.


	3. Chapter 3

**Again, I realized too late that I already had half of this chapter written, so with a bit of spare time I found today, I decided to finish up the chapter. There will be more of this story, I promise you. Now that i'm out of classes for the summer, i'll have more time to invest in it and I plan to do just that. **

**Tell me what you think!**

**xo, hayleynymphadora**

* * *

><p>Chapter 3:<p>

"Come," King David escorted his new guests to the enormous dining hall. In the middle of the hall was a long, large, and elegantly carved mahogany table. Regina stared in awe at all that there was to see—her vision could never focus on any particular thing for too long, for she feared she might miss out on seeing something else. Inwardly, this is how she felt. On the outside, however, she seemed perfectly poised and regal. The way she was raised to act.

Arik held Regina by the arm, tightly, as they walked—too tightly for her comfort, though she had grown used to his games. "Oh you needn't have gone through the hassle," Arik played along to his own fun towards David. Regina was well aware that Arik was not expecting anything less than a feast in his honor and she pitied that King David and Queen Snow felt they had to be kind to Arik. Especially since they were unaware yet of his true nature.

_Or perhaps,_ Regina thought to herself, _they do know what he's really like and are being bullied into cooperation as I am. Perhaps they know what it's like, to feel so trapped and alone._

Princess Emma followed closely behind the pair of Queen Regina and her husband, eyeing the married couple's embrace curiously.

_If you could call it so much as an embrace,_ Emma scoffed to herself. _Does the woman have no self respect at all?_

As they all sat down to feast, Emma watched the couple again; anxious to see how they moved with one another. The two did not quite come across as the most picturesque pair in the land; Emma didn't seem to think so, anyways. Arik seemed far too old for Regina; however that was common in their land, so that fact only seemed suspicious for a slight second. It was the looks that he gave his wife that caught Emma off guard, as well as the way he handled her so carelessly. It was completely opposite from the way she watched her parents interact with each other from day to day; with such love and companionship flowing between them.

"Was your travel hard?" David struck conversation and Emma's gaze left that of the Queen of the south, as she realized she was staring, and allowed for the maid to serve her a meal.

"Parts were rough at times, I dare to admit," Arik waved a hand. "However it was nothing the Queen and I could not endure."

Emma noticed the way he spoke. He didn't refer to Regina as his wife, or even as Regina or Gina, but simply as "the Queen".

"What did you think of the journey, Regina?" Snow asked kindly.

Regina raised an unsuspecting brow. If ever she was in the company of Arik's acquaintances, it was not common for them to speak to her at all, let alone ask about her travels. Arik glanced over towards her expectantly. She swallowed and pondered, not wanting to say the wrong thing. It also worried her, that Snow's kindness seemed so genuine. Regina was not used to such niceties. Emma kept silent and observed everyone, as Emma so often did.

"Our journey was fine," Regina gave Queen Snow a forced smile. "I didn't mind it at all," the beginning of her sentence was the full truth—guarded, was it all. Regina did love to ride, for it reminded her so much of Daniel, who had originally taught her to ride. However, being with Arik for such an extended time unsettled her stomach, which definitely made her mind the long and exhausting road they had traveled during the day.

"Well I'm relieved you had pleasant travels," Snow's warm smile at Regina was not forced, and also unsettled the Queen of the South. It had been long since someone had showed her kindness—she was no longer accustomed to it or anything similar to it.

Princess Emma, at the opposite end of the extended table, held back an eye roll at her parents' oblivious nature. Quite obviously, the Queen was hiding something. Emma was familiar with that particular game, and was intrigued to find out what was going on within the month of the royal's stay.

The rest of their meal was uneventful and full of topics that could lull the princess to sleep at her most alert hour. After which, she retreated to the stables—her new favorite place of solitude. That was where the blonde stayed, lost in her thoughts and with dreams unable to take over her conscious state.

Arik and Regina were escorted to their bed chamber, which was much greater in size and grander in looks than the one in their own castle, and the King and Queen of the North left their new acquaintances alone for the night. How Regina wished they hadn't.

The room was lavish and large and Regina knew she didn't have the time to study it thoroughly. Instead of taking in the view, as she so wanted to, she dressed in her night gown and Arik spoke to her from the bed. She closed her eyes to gain her composure as she dressed—her body ached wildly from their journey as well as their earlier night's activities that she so hoped he would not force her to participate in this night.

"Listen here, Regina, and you listen to me closely," was his voice ever not so harsh? "While we are here, you will be granted a sort of freedom."

Surprised, Regina listened on as her heart leapt eagerly, however she worried that she and Arik's definitions of "freedom" varied quite a bit.

"I cannot very well go about our usual routine in a guest's castle. The last thing I need is anybody getting ideas about our relationship—many people are unaccustomed to my husbandly ways."

_True, generally it is frowned upon to constantly mistreat and physically abuse your wife, albeit the Queen of your land._ Regina thought tiredly while slipping under the huge silk covers and facing Arik while he spoke to her.

"Therefore, I will only expect you to fulfill wifely duties and mannerisms while alone at night with me. Otherwise, you are free to do as you please during our stay here, so much as you stay loyal to me and our kingdom and you respect your expectations as Queen."

"Truly?" Regina could not help asking and could not hide the excitement in her voice. Her hopes were far too high for her own good, and, recognizing this, she expected the smack she gained in response.

Clearly annoyed and exhausted, Arik turned the other way after watching a red mark form on Regina's face, and mumbled, "Pray don't make me regret the decision."

"You won't, my King," Regina could hardly believe what was happening, even if she was just struck for asking a pathetic and obvious question such as "truly". She dug her nails into her arm to be positive she was not asleep.

"Leave me be, woman," was what she earned as a retort. She let sleep over take him and once it had, crept out of the bed, ever so carefully, and redressed before pulling on riding boots and slowly exiting the room.

Once she had, she nearly jumped in excitement, making her way, hurriedly, towards the front door of the castle. She stopped at the main door to regain her composure for a minute, then opened it widely, hugely, taking giant gulps of the wondrous night air and staring out at the beautiful land that awaited her feet to tread on. It had slowly grown dark since their arrival, but Regina was sure she could find her way to the stables. Oh, the stables; ever her favorite thinking spot that reminded her so much of Daniel.

Regina walked the land, feeling as if a giant weight had been lifted from her chest. She could stand straight without having to force it—she felt light on her feet instead of feeling as if she had to force herself to take each step at a time. She inhaled and exhaled greedily, thankful that she was given the chance to do such a thing on her own; without having to feel constricted by Arik's tight gaze, or grip, or clutches. Finally, though it was dark, she found the stables and grinned massively, pulling her skirts up and rushing towards them.

She scanned the stalls and found her horse immediately, stroking the black mane ever so kindly. "That's my girl," she whispered warmly.

. . .

Emma started, aroused from her resting position against one of the back stalls in the stable. She thought, maybe, if she spent more time with Melody, she'd easier learn to ride the girl. A strong bond between rider and horse is what is needed for a healthy relationship,

_And a rider like a knight,_ Emma had thought to herself, smugly. _Instead of some boring , frilly, side-saddle princess…_

Turning her head quickly, she looked around for the source of the noise that woke her. And there she was.

Looking gorgeous as ever, Queen Regina was stroking the mane of her horse, whispering kind words to it, looking positively radiant. It was a major change from when Emma had last seen the Queen, looking distraught and constricted and depressed. Now her facial expression showed joy; a kind of warm spirit that had just been waiting to be released and freed of its chains.

"Regina," Emma said, surprised.

The sudden sound made the Queen jump in surprise. She put her hand over her heart.

"Princess," she half-whispered. "You gave me a fright."

"My apologies," Emma offered, standing up and wiping the dirt off of her pants. "Please, don't call me princess."

Slowly, Regina approached the young blonde. She was curious as to what made this girl so different—but there was definitely something special about her. "What would you rather I call you?" she asked politely.

"Emma," the young girl smiled faintly. "Emma is fine,"

"Emma," Regina tasted the name on her tongue, testing the waters. For some reason, it felt exhilarating, saying her name. There was a sort of intimacy that came with improper titles that Regina found endearing. "What are you doing out so late into the night, Emma?" she had to wonder.

The blonde laughed, pulling her hair back off of her shoulders. "I could ask you the same question, Regina," her eyes glimmered with something Regina dared to call mischief. "Come to escape your King husband?"

Regina nearly choked—on what she couldn't be sure. "I beg your pardon?"

Emma winced—her wording had seemed rather blunt. "Forgive me, it just doesn't seem like the two of you are compatible. When I look at you and imagine you wed to someone, he is not that person."

Regina managed a small, forgiving smile. The young girl had meant no harm by her comment, after all. "Is that so?" She teased. This conversation was thrilling, mostly because she was allowed to have a real conversation at all with someone besides Ashlyn or her mother or her husband. Not that she could ever call speaking with Arik a "conversation". "Who, pray tell, do you see me with, then?"

The young princess could not think of an answer, which struck her as odd. She always seemed to have some sort of response, yet in front of Regina she was speechless. Therefore, she didn't say a thing about that topic and decided to switch the course of the conversation.

"Are you a skilled rider?" she wondered to Regina, whom was showing so much admiration towards her horse that it made Emma jealous she couldn't have the same connection with Melody. Her father was right when he had said she'd always wanted to learn to ride.

"Quite, I'm told," Regina informed her with a warm yet tentative smile. She wasn't comfortable, speaking highly of herself, and it showed in her posture and response. "Though I'm sure there are those who can do better."

Emma shrugged and patted Melody's head before saying, "You shouldn't compare yourself to others though. There's always going to be someone who's better or worse. The only thing you can do is try your best and be yourself."

Taken off guard, Regina pulled back from her horse, and stared at the Princess in amazement. Who was this girl, and where had she come from? Was she a gift sent from above? Possibly a friend; something Regina hadn't had since Daniel?

"I suppose that's true enough," Regina said, once she had gathered the courage to speak again. "You're very wise, for your age," she noted, taking out one of the brushes from the side of the stable and running it through her horse's elegant and long mane.

"As are you," Emma pointed out with a cheeky grin.

This made Regina emit a light laugh, "Oh, my dear." She shook her head sadly yet seriously, the tiny smile still spread across her thin, precious lips, "I'm hardly my age."

This made Emma remember what her mother had said, about Regina having a spell cast on her. So it was true that the Queen was stuck at seventeen.

"What's your true age, then?" Emma was curious.

With a small nod as she put the brush back where she found it, Regina realized she should probably be heading back up to the castle. It was foolish of her to come out, into strange lands, so late at night. What if Arik were to wake and discover her missing? She didn't think she could afford such a mishap so early in her allowance of freedom.

She gave Emma a tiny, reluctant smile. "Much older than I care to admit," she said, before nodding slightly and saying, "Have a good rest of your night, Emma."

With that, Regina turned away from the blonde girl, leaving her open mouthed and dazed, and made her trek back up to the castle which would be her temporary home.


	4. Chapter 4

**I have been more than inspired by Once Upon A Time recently. I'm just...I miss it terribly. This hiatus is simply not fair at all.**

**Completely unrelated to this story (besides the TV show and SwanQueen) if you have any SQ prompts for me, I'm lacking in them and would really appreciate them! (They'll be posted under my story A SwanQueen Collaboration of Oneshots).**

**I hope you like this chapter. Our friend Regina is finally able to let loose a bit and she thinks it is fantastic.**

**Love always, Hayley**

Chapter 4:

As the sun rose early in the morning, rays and beams of light splashed through the window, lying across Regina like a warm blanket and welcoming her to wake. She smiled and stretched as she did so, letting out a soft yawn behind her hand. She'd had such pleasant dreams that she truly wasn't wanting to wake—dreams of riding in the fields with Daniel and, to her surprise, with Emma, whom she hoped could be her friend. They had picnicked and laughed and drank wine and talked and it had been splendid. Most importantly, Arik and her mother hadn't been there to ruin it. It was the first time the Queen hadn't had a nightmare in ages, and she, for once, woke feeling quite well rested. It was a welcome change.

She also wasn't used to being woken by the sun. She absolutely adored the way the warmth caressed her body and make her feel so energized. At her castle back in the south, black fur curtains covered their bedroom window and forbade sunlight from ever reaching them. If she ever wanted sunlight she'd had to go outside to get it, which was a rare occurrence to say the least.

Regina turned to see that Arik was not yet up. Remembering her sense of freedom, she tried to dress before he had the chance to wake and realize how much he hated the sunlight in his eyes. Finding a favorite sky blue dress of hers, she put it on and reached for her comb, running it through her long, black locks of hair. This was usually a very time consuming task, but she didn't mind that today. It gave her time to wonder what her day was going to be like—what the rest of her month was going to be like, with this new freedom she was granted. Her heart leapt in excitement, thinking that perhaps, along with befriending Emma, she could even befriend Queen Snow White.

She found herself even, she daresay, giddy at the thought of having friends. She had to remind herself that she was a queen and still had to act as such, taking a deep breath to compose herself as she did a small braid in the side of her hair and pinned it out of her eyes, leaving the rest of her hair down.

Also, she wasn't sure how much trust she was truly supposed to put into these people and knew it would be wise to be a bit skeptical. It was the time of the ogre wars after all and, although they were supposedly at the castle to discuss battle plans, the years leading up to this day had recently contained rules of "every man and woman for themselves".

Stepping out of the room, she found herself in the long hallway that was the corridor of what seemed to be mostly bedrooms. Closing the door softly behind her, in the hopes that Arik wouldn't wake, she recalled Snow saying something to her about Emma's room being right next door or down the hall…but it was very early and she wasn't going to tempt fate. Besides, it would be rather improper to just knock on the princess's door first thing in the morning, wouldn't it?

_You need to relax,_ she told herself. _Don't take things for granted or you will lose this._

She made her way down a flight of stairs and peeked out from behind the corner, spying Snow sitting upon a stool in the kitchen. It caught her off guard, slightly. Regina had almost never set foot in her own castle's kitchen. In fact, there were many rooms in her castle that Regina had never set foot in.

Snow smiled affectionately at Regina. She had sensed the moment Regina and Arik set foot on their grounds that this woman was mistreated and, being the adoring and loving woman that she was, was dying to make Regina's life happier for her. She hated so much to see suffering and pain, especially when it could be helped. "Good morning, Regina!" Snow said to her, patting the stool next to her. "Care to join me?"

Eagerly but also a bit nervously, (Regina was slightly unsure how to act around people who weren't Arik or her parents and servants) Regina smiled softly back. "Alright," she agreed, hopping up onto the stool next to Snow. It felt so odd, to act the way that she was, but it was a nice kind of odd. It was an odd that Regina enjoyed immensely.

"Would you like some morning tea?" Snow asked. "Freshly brewed, of course." She smiled.

Regina was unsure why Snow was being so polite to her, but she wasn't complaining. It felt amazing. "Yes, please," she agreed, moving to pour herself a cup but Snow beat her to it.

"Nonsense, you're our guest, I can pour the tea for you." She said, kindly.

"Thank you." Regina's voice was soft, and it was full of complete gratitude. If only Snow realized that Regina's thanks was not only for the tea, but for being so considerate and loving towards her when Snow had only just met her. For all Snow knew, Regina could be just as horrible as her husband, however Snow continued to be gracious and sweet towards her. It was a quality that Regina didn't often see in the people of the south. Perhaps kindness was just a northern thing. _Or, maybe,_ she thought to herself, _a trait of the Charming family alone._ She was more than curious to find out.

Curious about many things, Regina remembered she was actually able to ask questions at this time. It excited her. "Is Emma or King Charming awake yet, or is it just the two of us who are early risers?"

Snow laughed lightly. "Emma, awake at this ungodly hour?" she shook her head and took a sip of tea. "That would be a fine day, indeed."

Regina felt allowed to laugh with Snow and let herself, taking a sip of tea as well.

"No, Emma likely won't be up for a few hours unless she is involuntarily roused. And David—please, feel free to call us David and Snow, by the way—he's out practicing with his sword. It's a favorite pastime of his."

"I see." Regina took in all of this information, feeling actually interested in a conversation for once and liking it a lot. "I'm often up before Arik is, as well." Her posture stiffened slightly at the mention of her husband and it didn't go unnoticed by Snow, however the northern Queen said nothing about it. Regina was unsure why she brought up Arik's name, seeing as she'd been trying so hard to avoid him, but then she realized that a life with Arik and Cora and Henry…that was truly all she knew and therefore all she could really talk about.

Wanting to change the subject, Regina glanced inquisitively around the kitchen area. It was odd that they were the only two in there, and not any maids or servants. "Did you make our dinner last night?" she asked as her way of wondering about such things as cooks and servants. "It was truly wonderful." She grinned.

"Oh, I only helped make the apple pie," Snow said modestly, her face blushing at the compliment. "Our cooks did the rest of it."

"So you do have cooks and servants?" Regina asked, knowing that probably sounded oddly upfront but she was unsure how else to ask. "I suppose I was just wondering why we were alone in the kitchen…" she muttered, feeling slightly embarrassed now.

Snow could sense the woman's discomfort and put a hand over her hand, hoping it would soothe her, in a motherly fashion. "We do have cooks and servants and maids, but they are more like our family than our help." Snow admitted. "I help them often and we all work together to keep the castle running smoothly. It's a warm, family environment."

"That sounds very nice," Regina admitted. She often tried to make those like Ashlyn and Vanessa feel as if they were friends more than servants, but all of her "friendly" nature was overcompensated by Arik's forceful tones used with them. Although her father, Henry, was also kind to others, (which is often where Regina felt that she got it from), Cora was not. Therefore, their maids, servants, and cooks felt more like help than friends almost every day of their lives.

"It is." Snow smiled back and watched as Regina stared around the kitchen in wonder, seeming to take everything in. That was when an idea struck Snow's mind. She doubted the Queen of the south was ever taught how to cook or bake, and she seemed fairly keen to learn as much as she could during their stay. "So…do you know how to bake an apple pie?" Snow decided to ask just in case. She didn't want to assume things about Regina and upset her in any way.

"I'm afraid not," Regina confessed, staring down at her tea and taking another sip. It seemed that even though Snow was technically younger than she was, she knew a lot and could teach her much.

"Would you like to learn?" Snow offered. "I was going to make a few for desert again tonight. It's a family favorite around these parts. Emma especially enjoys it, we often have to remind her that two pieces is more than enough to fill a stomach." Snow laughed. "She likes to compete with David when it comes to hunger."

Regina laughed along, feeling free and happy and…light. "I would love to learn." She said. "If you're willing to teach me. I'm afraid I don't know much about the kitchen at all…actually I've never been in our kitchen at home…I'm sure that makes me sound horribly self-centered, but..."

"I don't find you self-centered at all." Snow let her know. "Quite the opposite, actually. I think you are very sweet and considerate of others. I admire that in a Queen. Everyone deserves to be treated with kindness and everyone deserves happiness." Snow let Regina know then and there where she stood, looking into Regina's brown eyes and hoping she would understand Snow's double meaning. Snow had observed Regina's mannerisms and didn't need to see another day of it to know that Arik was a horrible man. Snow and David intended to help Regina in any and every way possible. "And it would be absolutely no trouble to teach you how to bake a pie. It would be my honor."

Regina giggled happily. "Okay then." She gestured forward. "Show me what to do."

"Alright, first we must wash our hands..."

After teaching Regina vocabulary such as what a rolling pin was and how to use it, and after mixing ingredients for a crust, Snow got out flour and showed Regina how to roll the crust. They wore aprons so that the flour wouldn't get everywhere, however flour still managed to cover seemingly everything but the women's aprons.

Regina giggled again as she felt the white powder on her cheek and the tip of her nose. Before they had begun, Snow had pulled both of their hair back into buns but Regina's was falling out already, and was powdered white. She felt like a horrible mess but it somehow didn't bother her as it usually would. She realized she was actually quite enjoying herself. Baking with Snow was...it was truly fun.

They were greeted moments later by David, who made his way into the kitchen to find his wife and guest covered in ingredients and laughing at each other. Somehow, the two of them had gotten into some sort of flour war, throwing handfuls at each other and ducking out of the way, behind tables. Snow seemed to be sincerely enjoying Regina's company just as much as Regina was enjoying hers. It was nice to have a new woman to talk to and laugh with. She was positively thrilled to have a new friend.

"What's been going on in here?" David chuckled, braving the flour storm to kiss his wife.

"We're baking," Snow laughed.

"Although I'm not quite sure this is the proper way to bake an apple pie…" Regina joked, surprising herself because joking was usually only something she did inside her head.

"Would you care to join us?" Snow asked of her husband.

"You know, as much as I love baking..." David began.

"Don't let him fool you, he'd rather clean out the stables." Snow informed Regina, cutting David off. The Queen of the South had never laughed so much as she had on this morning, and she felt it would be perfectly okay if she laughed as hard every day for the rest of her life. Although she recognized this as a long shot.

"Hey now, I do know how to make a mean lasagna."

"What is that?" wondered Regina as she tried to brush the flour off of her face. To her dismay all it did was continue to spread across her face and clothing.

"It's a type of pasta dish," David was surprised she'd never heard of it. "Perhaps we'll have to have it for dinner. I could show you how to make it, if you'd like."

"I would be honored to learn, granted we are able to finish with these apple pies..." Regina grinned. It was only her first day in this kingdom and she was learning so much as well as making some incredible new friends. She only could hope that Arik would not destroy her happiness so soon, as she knew this joy would not likely last.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5:**

It was when Emma walked out into the kitchen, very sleepily and wearing not a dress but a pair of what looked to be her father's pants, high boots that reached her knees, and a long red cloak, that Regina's heart leapt as high as it had ever leapt before. The Queen wasn't sure what it was about Emma, but something about the blonde princess was intriguing indeed. Suffice to say that Regina had never seen anything like Emma before in her entire life.

"A princess in pants?" Regina, again, felt that her sarcasm was acceptable here. This family was so open-minded and high spirited. "Why, I never thought I'd see the day." She felt hope that for the next month she could start to actually speak her thoughts aloud without fear.

"Perhaps you should paint a portrait, or mark a calendar to capture such a rare moment?" Emma was quick to snap back, which Regina smiled at in response, watching as the corners of Emma's lips turned up, slightly. It was great to have someone to playfully banter with. Gina was so tired of being yelled at all the time. "Or you could just observe me every day whilst you're here, for it is more likely you'll see me in pants than you'll ever see me in a dress."

"You were wearing a dress yesterday, if my memory suits me." Regina pointed out, sipping some more tea as the pies that she and Snow had just finished baking cooled in the window. Cinnamon and apple smells wafted through the kitchen, and it made Emma's stomach growl.

"Special occasion," she waved it off. They would discuss her aversion to dresses on another date. "Do I smell pie?" her tone was rather hopeful.

Snow scolded Emma as soon as the blonde stood; the princess was obviously in pursuit of said dessert. "Ah, ah, ah." She tapped Emma's hand in disapproval. "Not until after dinner."

"But that's so far away…" Emma complained. "Not even a taste would be acceptable?"

"I've said it to your father and I'll repeat it to you—you can't have pie for breakfast, Emma." Snow kissed the top of her daughter's head. "Or in your case, lunch, since you seem to be opposed to waking before the sun begins to set."

The princess yawned and her mother rolled her eyes with a smile.

Regina observed, curious. It's true that Emma had been scolded and tapped, but it wasn't in a harsh matter. There were no tears, there was no blood, and there was no screaming or cursing of any kind. Snow had said no, and was being serious, but her tone was light. She wasn't angry and Emma wasn't afraid of Snow's magic—

_Snow doesn't have magic. Remind yourself that your mother isn't here. Emma is certainly not you, and Snow is certainly not your mother. Of course they'll treat Emma differently….they treat Emma the way one is supposed to treat a daughter, I would expect. Is this what love feels like?_

It wasn't that Regina went completely unloved—Henry loved her, and this the girl knew quite well. If only he wasn't someone to buckle under Cora's magic and obey the woman's every order. If only he could protect the both of them the way that he intended to. Of course, Regina didn't blame him for not standing up to Cora. No one, not even Arik, was foolish enough to do such a thing.

And then there was Daniel. Regina thought what they'd had was love…but if he truly loved her, wouldn't he have stayed, no matter how intimidated he had been by Cora?

_Perhaps not, since he didn't…_

She was pulled out of her reverie when Snow asked her if she did in fact want something to actually eat for breakfast, as opposed to just drinking tea. The entire group (including David, who rejoined them), agreed that some fruit and bread was in order, and they ate while they discussed what their day would consist of.

"I think I'll go riding today." Emma declared, swallowing a grape. She turned to the Queen that she was beginning to think of as her friend. "Care to join me, Regina?"

The Queen looked excitedly at Emma, and then turned her attention to David and Snow, as if asking for permission. "Am I intended to stay here? To discuss…strategies?" she wasn't sure how to word it, and wasn't sure how much Emma was supposed to know. Considering Regina herself knew virtually nothing about why they were truly visiting the northern kingdom, she didn't find it difficult to stay quiet about whatever "battle plans" they were planning.

"You're free until after dinner tonight…I believe that's when Arik wanted to talk amongst us." David recalled.

"Excellent." Regina smiled at Emma softly excited to get to spend some time with her. "I'd be happy to accompany you. Where are we riding to?"

"You'll just have to wait and see, won't you?" Emma smiled back.

Although Regina was still sore because of Arik's harsh doings, she was not about to pass up an opportunity to spend time with someone new. Even if it meant uncomfortably riding a horse and making herself even more sore…

"I suppose I will." Regina decided she liked Emma's spirit and sarcastically humorous attitude. It suited the princess well.

Once they finished their breakfast, they made their way out to the stables. They prepared their horses in silence and it was only when Regina mounted her horse side saddle (she was still in a dress) that Emma spoke up, shaking her head.

"If you want to keep up with me there is no possible way that you can ride side saddle."

"But I'm wearing a dress," Regina pointed out, in protest.

Reaching into her saddle bag, Emma pulled out a pair of pants and threw them Regina's way. Regina caught them, hesitantly, being reminded for a moment of Arik the day before. But only for a moment. Otherwise, Emma was the exact opposite of Arik, which Regina loved. Emma actually sort of reminded her of Daniel, in many ways…

"Those should fit you," Emma said. "We're about the same size, right?"

"I suppose…"

Emma laughed at the Queen's uneasy state. "Afraid you won't be able to keep up?" she challenged.

Regina scoffed, slightly offended. "Not at all dear. Quite the contrary, I happen to be an excellent rider. I had a very good instructor."

The blonde's stomach churned. With Regina being a queen from the south, she expected that the woman rode in a carriage more often than not, and that she would likely not do very well on a horse—particularly not riding like a man usually would. However, Emma's face did not show any fear at all, even though her mind screamed that her bluff was dangerous.

"Hmm." She decided that saying nothing, at this point, was the best solution. She was only just learning how to ride, after all, and hoped she wouldn't make a complete fool out of herself in front of Regina. How embarrassing that would be. "Let's go then."

They set off, Regina not following Emma but staying close to her side. She didn't know her way around here at all and she would be damned if she got lost and Emma had to go out looking for her. That would not be impressive in the slightest, and she truly wanted Emma to like her.

The two of them rode through the forest, silent at first, until Emma struck up a sort of conversation.

"So what sort of a name is Regina?" she asked.

Slightly taken aback, the sides of Regina's lips curled up into somewhat of a smile. "It can be translated to "Queen"," she informed the princess.

Emma scoffed at the new information. "Seems fitting enough." She decided.

"Indeed it is, if you know my mother." Was Regina's response. She recognized her voice as a touch too defensive—too harsh—and forced herself to tone it down. She was just talking to Emma, after all. This wasn't anybody who was meaning to offend her.

Scrunching her nose, Emma had to wonder, "Is your mother super uptight? She must be a little over-confident if she named her daughter "Queen"…are you able to do what you want, or are you her puppet?"

This was quite a few questions to have to answer at once—in Regina's case they were extraordinarily personal questions that she didn't particularly want to answer at the moment.

"Perhaps we could start with a lighter topic," she stalled for time, wanting desperately to change the subject. The last thing she wanted to talk to Emma about right now was her mother. Especially if she didn't have to see her mother anytime soon. She'd only just _stopped_ thinking about her. Noticing Emma's being slightly unsteady on her steed, Regina smirked, finding an in, and pointing at Emma's horse. "When did you learn how to ride?" she had to ask. "Recently, I'm assuming…"

Dropping her jaw in protest, Emma squinted her eyes. "What is that insinuating, _your highness_?"

Regina's heart flipped inside of her, her stomach churning warmly. Upsetting Emma in such a way felt…almost exhilarating. It was the first time Regina hadn't been forced to please someone—she was actually allowed to instigate without being beaten for it, and she had to admit it felt rather good to do so. Hearing the sharp tone in Emma's voice made things even more fun.

"What I'm insinuating, _princess,_ is that you've only just learned how to ride, because you don't seem very comfortable in the position you're in. Based on what you've told me earlier, you always wear pants. Adding this to the fact that you don't seem like the sort of girl to ride side-saddle, I'd wager that if you aren't comfortable riding a horse like a man, you aren't comfortable riding a horse at all. On top of that, you haven't bonded with that beauty at all, have you?"

Staring with wild eyes, Emma couldn't help but keep her jaw slacked. Who in the hell was _this_ woman?! This was not the Regina that had showed up the night before. That Regina seemed closed off and shy. Regal, but quiet. This woman was opinionated and snappy. The blonde raised one of her eyebrows. Getting to know Regina just became much more interesting. She was clearly not the woman Emma assumed she was. Before Emma could reply something equally sarcastic back, Regina pulled on the reigns.

"Close your jaw, dear, you'll catch flies." After which she motioned for her steed to move forward again, racing out into a large field.

Gaining her composure again, Emma raced after Regina, feeling slightly nervous. She'd never ridden so fast on Melody before, and not only was the horse not used to it, but neither was Emma.

"Woah," she called as Melody tried to catch up to Regina, who was way too far ahead of her to catch up at this point. "WOAH," she called louder, not like it did much good.

Regina, even from so far ahead, heard Emma's call and slowed gradually. She wanted to be Emma's friend, but it was also very fun teasing her. She wasn't sure what this relationship was going to turn into—or if they would even be close to one another at all during her stay—but she did know that she didn't want Emma falling off of her horse and getting trampled to death.

Melody, however, didn't stop. It was just behind Regina at this point and the Queen knew that if she positioned herself right, she could save Emma from certain death. She pulled her own horse up beside Emma's, closely, and reached out. "Take my arm," she called out.

The blonde's eyes widened. "Are you insane?! There's no way that's going to work—"

"Take my arm or panic and perish, Princess."

Emma was not one to panic and perish. She reached out hastily and took Regina's arm, pulling herself across her horse and onto the back of Regina's, letting Melody rush ahead of them, almost teasingly, before slowing almost immediately. The horse had been taunting the princess. David had warned Emma this might happen if she didn't bond with her, but Emma hadn't listened. Now she was sort of regretting that.

After pulling her horse to a stop, Regina jumped off and reached out her hand to assist Emma in doing the same. The princess declined her hand and jumped off of the horse on her own, brushing off her pants after doing so.

Regina pressed her lips together, an unimpressed smile curving her small lips. "And you were afraid that I wouldn't be able to keep up?" she whispered, not unkindly.

Glancing up amazedly, Emma couldn't help but ask, "Who _are_ you?" Clearly, her original interpretation of the Queen had been dead wrong. This woman was stronger and more independent than the blonde had thought. It was just that she had to be given the opportunity to prove it. Without Arik in her life, Regina was…well she was something special, that's for damned sure.

Squaring her shoulders, acting much braver than she truly felt, just to see if she might try it, Regina said confidently, "I am Queen Regina Valentin of the South." Her eyes shimmered with a ferocity that she'd never had before. And it felt absolutely incredible.


	6. Chapter 6

**I apologize for taking so long with updating this story. I do love working on it, however I've been quite busy with school. Tomorrow is my last day of school as well as my last exam. Hopefully after that I'll have more time to write.**

**I also apologize for any mistakes in this chapter or any of the previous. I do edit but some things slip by without notice. **

**Reviews are encouraged. I adore hearing from all of you!**

**Love always, Hayley**

**Chapter 6:**

At dinner, Emma sat next to Regina. The brunette queen looked up slowly at her new companion, if she could be so lucky to call Emma that so early on in their knowing each other. Emma smiled softly at her, her eyes communicating that although they didn't know each other well and had only met the day before, Regina had a new friend and she was no longer alone. Regina felt so at home in this castle, and knew deep down that she shouldn't, for it was too good to last. If she grew used to this loving environment it would only hurt more once she had to return "home" where things were cold and rough. Regina did however smile back at the Princess. It wasn't Emma's fault this couldn't last forever, after all.

The lasagna that David and Regina had made together was served, after which was Snow and Regina's apple pies. Regina felt proud when she ate the food she helped to make. She had been unaware that she was capable of doing something like that—making dinner, feeding the people she spent time with. It almost felt…rewarding. And it tasted quite excellent! Although she was sure that was due to Snow and David's experience, as opposed to her lack thereof. All the same…

"I enjoyed very much making dinner with you, David," she spoke up, feeling quite brave regardless of her husband's presence. "Thank you for teaching me your recipe. It's quite delicious."

David winked at her. "Perhaps you could perfect it with time." He gave her a smile fitting to his "charming" name. "Give it your own southern twist."

Regina smiled. She felt so welcome here. She turned to Snow. "You have my thanks also, Snow, for teaching me how to bake those gorgeous apple pies. Although I'm unsure I'd ever be able to get it right without your assistance."

"In time," Snow smiled encouragingly at her, preaching words similar to her husband's. "Practice makes perfect, you know."

At this point in the night, Arik decided to speak up. He grew tired of listening to Regina act as if she belonged in this northern castle. She needed to remember her place and he was happy to remind her of it later on in the night.

"We'll be staying after dessert to discuss…" his eyes wandered over towards Emma before he changed his direction of conversation. "Just don't leave the table, Regina."

"Yes, my King." She responded immediately, as if trained.

Emma watched the exchange, hot anger flushing her cheeks. Regina was technically only a year older than she, and yet the entire castle treated her as if she were still a child. Battle plans could not be discussed around even the Princess. Although this kingdom would one day belong to her, battle tactics that would tell the fate of it were not to be heard by her ears. It infuriated her. Another thing yet that angered her was the way Regina was treated by her so called "King". She'd spent the better half of the day with Regina and watched as the southern Queen laughed, smirked, teased, and seemed quite sure of herself. As if she were excitedly testing unknown waters. Yet here, at the table, her blissful words of thanks were instantaneously shut down by her husband's rough nature. Nobody deserved to be treated like that.

"I know of the battle tactics," Emma informed Arik with an icy tongue. He may have some sort of power over Regina, but he held none over the northern Princess and Emma was more than happy to use that to her advantage. She turned her attention to her parents. "I wish to stay and discuss them with you." She requested.

Snow winced at her daughter. "Your father and I have discussed this, Emma, we don't think you're quite ready to be a part of a conversation so—"

"That is ridiculous! On what grounds am I not ready?!" Emma demanded to know, standing in frustration.

"It appears, Princess, that you are quick to react," Arik pointed out. "Perhaps this is one reason why they see you as too immature to sit in on adult conversations."

Emma was fuming and she shot a harsh glare at the King of the south. "If you please, King _Valentin_," his name tasted bitter on her tongue and it was heard with a coldness in her tone. "This discussion is between my parents and myself."

"Emma," Snow's voice held a tone of warning. "You should be more polite to our guests."

Emma could not believe her mother. Since when was Snow accommodating to abusive, overbearing kings?! _Perhaps once she realized he was abusive and grew too afraid to speak up for herself._ Emma growled in her mind. This is not in the least bit fair.

"It's my kingdom as well, mother, and it is my duty as Princess to know what is going on—"

"It is your duty as Princess to do as the King and Queen tell you to," Arik butted in again.

"My King, If I may—" Regina tried to stop him from stepping where he wasn't welcome, for he knew not much of where boundaries lay. If he was aware, they went ignored.

"You may not," Arik said harshly.

Regina fell silent.

Suddenly Emma didn't respect Regina nearly as much. She had started to try to stick up for what she believed in, indeed, but that had not lasted long. She allowed herself to be silenced by this man who was seeming to be quite rotten and had to ask herself how badly hurt Regina must have been by him every day and evening to be as controlled as she was. She gave Regina an incredulous look. One that begged to know how she could just sit there in silence.

"Emma," David tried to calm the table down. "We have discussed this before, although perhaps not at the length that you would have liked. You are merely sixteen years of age and although this kingdom does also belong to you, you are not ready to take control of any sort of battle strategies pertaining to the ogre wars. Kindly finish your dessert, apologize to King Valentin for your tone, and then go wherever you wish so long as it isn't this room."

Emma did not finish her dessert. Neither did she apologize to King Valentin. She pushed away from the table, shot Regina a look that told her quite sarcastically to enjoy her "adult conversation" and then made her way out of the room, storming up the castle stairs to her bed chamber.

She could not believe how her parents guarded her so. It enraged her to no end but she had no say in the matter, this she knew. That did not mean, however, that she would stop fighting. Nor did it mean that she was going to sit on her bed and do nothing, not at all. She only needed them to think that was where she was staying.

After waiting for a long pause, she slowly opened the door to her chamber. She would be stopped by guards if she tried to listen in downstairs. Taking a deep breath, the young, adventurous Princess found the door to the chamber where Regina and Arik were staying. She opened it just as slowly, to prevent anyone from hearing it, although she sincerely doubted they would.

Sneaking into the room, she saw that the bed had been made, (thanks to the servants) and that nothing seemed to be out of place. Clearly, King Arik was already getting comfortable here as Regina was. The difference was that Arik's comfort was shown in his lack of keeping up his "nice man" act. He was starting to show his true overbearing nature and roughness towards Regina, and it was only the second day. Clearly he was lacking in patience.

Emma wondered if there was anything in particular Arik taunted Regina with, or if it was just his own body and verbal abuse that scared the queen. Starting to see Arik's intentions towards Regina, Emma supposed that was enough. That didn't however stop her curiosity.

She turned to a trunk on the far side of the bed—the side nearest the window. Opening it, she could see that it was Regina's trunk. It was full of dresses, an old yet gorgeous brush…and a necklace? Emma decided she would find out more about this later. She wondered why Regina wasn't wearing it now.

Closing Regina's trunk, Emma felt a pang of guilt. Her anger at her parents and at Arik had fueled this search throughout the Southern King and Queen's room, and it was a betrayal of trust to sneak through Regina's possessions. Just before she closed the trunk, she noticed the pair of riding pants that Regina had worn earlier—the ones that Emma had thrown towards her—folded neatly in the corner. She couldn't help but smile at the sight of them as the recalled her day spent with Regina.

Brushing off the smile, she moved on to Arik's trunk—a man whom she cared not if he trusted her. His trunk was full of nothing abnormal, to her slight disappointment, and she closed it in haste as she heard the large double doors downstairs open and close. Hurriedly, she rushed out of the room and back into hers, practically diving on to her bed.

Her stealthy nature had always suited her well. She smirked triumphantly to herself as she took in the fact that she hadn't been caught. She usually wasn't, and that was how she always obtained so much information. She was sneaky, although not completely untrustworthy. If someone had directly asked her what she'd been doing, she might have said so. However, no one would ever think to ask her such a thing, because although Emma didn't often act the Princess she was expected to, it was also true that no one expected her to act such the investigator.

Emma reached over for her journal on the desk next to her bed and opened it, acting as if she'd been there the whole time. Her decision was that if no one was ever going to tell her anything, she was going to have to figure it out on her own. That was something she was not above doing.

She pulled out a quill and ink and started to write down her observations in her journal. Quickly, she found herself going off on a tangent once she started to describe Regina.

_I didn't expect her to be anything like she is. The poor girl is obviously abused, but I'm hoping to find out how and change it before the month is up. Let me correct myself…she's a woman, not a girl. I believe I recall mother and father saying that she's ruled the south with Arik for nearly twenty four years. If she's posing as seventeen that would make her almost forty one years. And yet she acts like she's in her early twenties at best. She's not given any freedoms in the south—that much is clear. She's given more here, but she still seems afraid to speak up. _

_ It's apparent she enjoys my parents' company. I found a necklace in her trunk and am wondering why she hasn't worn it yet. It seems to be one of the only pieces of jewelry she owns, besides hair pieces and the ring on her finger signifying her "marriage". I may have only known her for a day but it's enough to know that she deserves better than that bastard Arik. _

_ She is quite beautiful, I admit. I didn't expect someone so…young and full of life. She's sarcastic, as I am, and strong, when not in the presence of her king husband. _

_ I'm not going to try to justify going through her trunk. I'm aware it's only been a day and I've already broken her trust, unknown to her. I don't love what I did…I was angry. She didn't try to stand up for herself. She started to defend me at the table and then stood down immediately, without any fight. Of course, she doesn't know me enough to subject herself to more torture on my account. It was selfish of me, I can see that now. She's quite private but perhaps that's just because I'm too nosy. I know not what she said about herself to my parents while I wasn't around. Perhaps her ass of a husband was right. Perhaps I'm too young to understand the battle tactics of my kingdom, or to understand Regina or her life…but I would very much like to. It's an odd sort of feeling I've never felt before, but I would really like to spend more time with her throughout the month. As much as I can before she leaves. That is, unless she thinks of me as a child also. In which case I will know how foolish I am._

. . .

Later in the night, Arik and Regina were having a heated discussion in their chambers. He was furious with her for being so relaxed in this castle but even more so with himself for allowing her so much freedom. It was his first impression to tighten the reins on her. However, he could see that she was already gaining a sort of spit fire attitude. She'd clearly spent more time with the rebellious young princess than she should have been allowed. And only after a day. He could not imagine how defiant Regina might be after a month.

"I forbid you to spend any length of time with the princess. Spend more time around the people your age—Snow and David—"

"Are hardly my age," Regina protested. "They're younger as well. By far."

"But not as much so as that unruly Princess of theirs. I respect the king and queen as monarchs however not as much as parents. They've raised her with far too much leniency, as I do not intend to give to you." Arik leaned against the back wall.

"I am hardly your daughter as she is hardly unruly. It is not up to you to raise me as it is not your job to meddle in her parents' affairs." Regina was sounding a lot gutsier than she felt, and unluckily enough for her she could not yet hide the fear in her eyes as her tone tried yet failed to mask it. She sounded sure but her voice wavered once. Once was all it took for Arik to laugh and realize he was at no risk of her becoming disobedient. She was still terrified of him, this he knew and took great pride in.

"If I were you I would watch your tone, Regina. You have no authority over me and you will not pretend so in front of the king and queen ever again. Am I understood?"

Regina remained silent and he stepped forward to enforce his power over her. He grabbed her wrist tightly. "Am. I. Understood?" he repeated himself, leaving a mark from his nail on the inside of her wrist.

She gritted her teeth and through them muttered a response that sounded a lot like, "Yes, my King."

He relinquished his hold and she pulled her arm in towards herself, rubbing her new wound and turning her head to the side to hide her anger and fear. She pressed her lips together tightly. She felt she would much rather share a room with Emma than with Arik. Although she found this thought quite odd—that she would rather share a room with a stranger than with her husband would seem absurd to anybody else who heard what she was thinking. But at least with Emma she felt that she was heard. At least with Emma, she felt like she could be herself and say anything she felt like saying. With Emma, she felt safe. And she could say so about Snow and Charming as well.

Regina glared so hard at the window that it flew open, by accident. Her magic tended to go a bit astray when her emotions got the best of her and this was something that Arik had been taking note of. He wondered what would happen if she got upset enough while he took his pleasure but pushed it to the back of his mind. That was a worry for another time.

"I don't want you cooking or baking with the king and queen anymore, either. You came to this kingdom to keep up an image and listen to us discuss battle tactics. You did not come to learn how to act the way a servant does."

Regina turned her attention back to Arik and narrowed her eyes. "Snow and David do not have any less respect because they help to cook and bake in their own kitchen. In fact, I daresay they have more respect. They are friendly and kind to their servants—"

"And they do the servant's work for them, so clearly being kind does not make them more productive, now does it?!" Arik's face was turning red and Regina closed her mouth again. She knew her arguments were invalid. He would never listen to her no matter how strong her arguments may be. In his eyes she was nothing but a sex slave. Something she absolutely loathed him for and she would never forgive her mother or father for letting it happen, let alone encouraging it as Cora so often did. "DO YOU FORGET YOUR PLACE, WOMAN?!" her thoughts were interrupted by his angry yell.

It startled her and she scolded herself for jumping when he raised his voice and got in her face. After nearly twenty four years it wasn't as if she was not used to things like this. She took a long, slow deep breath.

"Momentarily, my King." She said softly. "You have my most sincere apologies. I'll not forget my place again." For the night she had given up. She'd spoken up more to him tonight than she ever had in her life and it had gotten her nowhere—her spirit for now was crushed.

He shoved her towards the bed and took her as he did nearly every night. She laid silently and did not resist. He whipped her when she was completely unresponsive and left a red mark on her midriff. Squeezing her eyes shut tightly, she allowed herself to become a bit more responsive to his movements.

Once he had fallen asleep, she sat up in the bed, teary eyed, and wrapped a gown around herself, making her way towards the window. She stared out it, at the deep blue sky. A tear slid down her cheek. She wondered what her life might be like if she was better at practicing her magic, or if Daniel hadn't run away. Although she knew thoughts like that were useless. Daniel wasn't there and she was horrible at magic. She knew she was stuck in this fate forever. The curse would not break and Cora would not take it away willingly.

Together, Regina and Arik along with Regina's parents would outlast every monarch in every kingdom. She would pretend to rule at his side whilst serving merely as a figurehead and sex slave. She was doomed to him for the rest of eternity. Another tear slid down her cheek. This was not a fate she wanted to stick with. She couldn't help but be jealous at Emma's life. The Princess was just that, and treated as such. Her biggest problem was not being able to listen in on a meeting. If only that were Regina's largest irritation.

She sat at the window all night and eventually fell asleep there, trying to come up with ways to get out of this, albeit in vain. She'd been here for twenty four years and hadn't come up with a solution yet.

She knew now that she would never get out on her own.

What she needed was a savior.

If only the fairy godmothers she read about were real.


End file.
